Aerial projectile game comprising a target having means responsive to not being hit



Aug. 6, 1968 w. MOE 3,395,920

AERIAL PROJECTILE GAME COMPRISING A TARGET HAVING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO NOT BEING HIT Filed June 27, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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AERIAL PROJECTILE GAME COMPRISING A TARGET HAVING MEANS Aug. 6, 1968 w. MOE 3,395,920

AERIAL PROJECTILE GAME COMPRISING A TARGET HAVING MEANs RESPONSIVE TO NOT BEING HIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 27, 1986 mymw 3,395,920 AERIAL PROJECTILE GAME C(DMPRISING A TARGET HAVING MEANS RESPQNSIVE T6 NOT BETNG HiT Walter Moe, Plainview, N.Y., assignor to ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 27, 1966, Ser. No. 560,655 7 Claims. (Cl. 273-101) The present invention relates generally to games, and more particularly to a game for children having considerable play value resulting from individual player participation as well as from the manner in which the participation of the players is coordinated in an overall plan or method of playing the game.

The play value of a game is a function of the general method of playing the game, and also of the excitement and suspense inherent in the activities required of the players in playing the game. Thus, the general plan or method of playing the game should be appealing to the players, and the specific activities required on the part of the individual players should also heighten the players interest. Further, where the circumstances affecting the playing of the game are continually changing, this usually also promotes and enhances the play value thereof. Despite a continuing effort in the toy industry to produce games having the foregoing and other desirable attributes, very few such games are produced. This undoubtedly is due to the difliculty inherent in the task itself, and also due to the further requirement that the game be capable of being economically produced and also meet other such commercial requirements.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a childs game having considerable play value and also lending itself to conventional techniques and methods of economical mass production. Specifically, it is an object to provide a childs game having a contemplated method of play which is appealing to children and wherein the players are further continually required to perform certain activities during the playing of the game which promote a high level of interest in the players at all times.

A childs game demonstrating features and objects of the present invention includes a rotatably mounted main toy figure having a mouth opening and an arm pivotally mounted thereon. During the playing of the game, the arm is capable of movement from a raised cocked position into an at-rest position simulating the striking of one of plural additional toy figures circumferentially spaced about the main toy figure and each defining a playing station. The game further includes means whereby a player can selectively stop the main toy figure adjacent one of the secondary toy figures and simultaneously therewith initiate the operation of mechanisms for starting the raised arm in movement from its raised cocked position into the a -rest position thereof. The player, however, at the playing station to which the main toy figure is directed has an opportunity, dependent upon his skill, of taking appropriate action which, if successful, results in disabling the arm from movement from the raised cocked position. This general plan of play is continually repeated in the playing of the game so that different players at the different playing stations thereof are placed in the circumstances of having the opportunity of disabling the movement of the arm on the main toy figure, all of which keeps each of the players active in the playing of the game and maintains a high level of interest in the players.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present 3,395,920 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a childs game demonstrating features of the present invention and illustrating the relative locations of atoy figure and catapult means thereof;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the childs game further illustrating the respective relative locations of the parts thereof;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, in section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, illustrating internal features of construction of the toy figure, and also the movements of said figure and of one of the catapult means in full line and phantom line perspective;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, in section taken on line 44 of FIG. 3, illustrating a preferred mechanism for causing rotation of the toy figure about its longitudinal axis;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view, taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating further details of construction of a latching mechanism engaging with a depending portion of the toy figure;

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view similar to FIG. 5, but showing the latching mechanism disengaged or unlatched from the depending portion of the toy figure;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view, on an enlarged scale and taken on line 77 of FIG. 6, illustrating further details of construction of said unlatching mechanism; and

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, partially in section, illustrating the path of movement of a moving part of the toy figure in full line and phantom line perspective, and also illustrating the contemplated means for selectively controlling the movement of this moving part.

Reference is now made to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1, 2 wherein there is shown a childs game, generally designated 10, demonstrating features and objects of the present invention. As a major component, the game 10 includes a molded toy figure 12, which in the illustrated embodiment has the shape and appearance of a tiger, and which is appropriately mounted for rotational movement R about its longitudinal axis centrally of a molded base member 14. Circumferentially spaced about the toy figure 12 in the four corners of the molded base 14 are catapult means, herein individually and collectively generally designated 16. Among other features, the toy figure 12 includes a large opening 18 at a location simulating the mouth of the animal, and a pivotally mounted element 20 simulating one of the front limb members 20a of the animal engaging a club 2012. Referring to FIG. 8, and as will be described in greater detail subsequently herein, the movable element 20 has a raised cocked position as shown in full line in FIG. 8 and is movable therefrom through a path of movement P into an at-rest position shown in phantom perspective wherein the club 20b simulates striking a toy figure 22 of the catapult means 16 occupying a position facing the mouth opening 18 of the toy figure 12. The contemplated method of playing the game 10, however, and the construction of the major components of this game to provide this method of play has provision for stopping the downward movement of the element 20 before it can obtain the position striking the toy figure 22. To achieve this, a player must successfully operate the catapult 16 such that an object 24, shown in FIG. 8 in its progressive positions of movement along a path C, is catapulted through the mouth opening 18 into the interior of the toy figure 12. Once inside the toy figure 12, the object 24 (which may be an ordinary marble) is effective in jamming the internal mechanism to prevent movement of the element 20 from the cocked raised position thereof into the lowered at-rest position thereof in which it simulates striking the toy figure 22.

Reference is now made to the structural features embodied by the toy figure 12 which produces the functioning thereof in the manner which has just been generally described. The toy figure 12 will be understood to be a conventional plastic article of manufacture produced by an appropriate molding process and having an appropriate shape and features to simulate an animal, in this case a tiger and including a head 12a having the mouth opening 18 therein, a body 12b, and hind portions 120 also functioning as a base for the figure 12. As best shown in FIG. 3, the base 120 has circumferentially spaced projections 12d which are engaged in circumferential openings in a base member 26 mounting the toy figure 12 in an appropriate upright position, the base member 26 in cluding a flat supporting surface 26a having a peripheral downwardly turned skirt 26b. The molded base 14 has a wall 14a bounding a centrally located opening 141) which accommodates the skirt 26b, the wall 14a then extending beneath both the skirt 26b and the figure 12. At a point coinciding with the center of the base 14 the wall 14a has an integrally molded upstanding pin 140 which is accommodated in a depending hub 26c, and which enables rotational movement of the figure 12 about the axis of the pin 14c which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the figure 12.

The manner in which the toy figure 12 is propelled in rotation can best be understood by a comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4. The lower end of the hub 260 is formed with circumferentially spaced teeth 26d serving as a gear and in meshing engagement with teeth 28a provided at one end on a pivotally mounted lever 28. A finger grip 28b is provided on an accessible end of the lever 28 which extends through a slot 30 in the molded base 14. A helical spring 32 is attached rearwardly of the lever pivot, as at 32a, and at its other end is attached to a pin 32b on the lower wall 14a of the molded base 14. As illustrated in FIG. 4, normally the lever end 28:: is clear of the teeth 26d, but is placed in meshing engagement therewith in response to pivotal movement of the opposite end 2812 in a clockwise direction. While partaking of this movement, the spring 32 is extended. When the lever 28b is then released, the meshing end 28a is urged through movement by the spring 32, returning the lever 28 to the clearance position of FIG. 4 and causing spinning or rotation of the figure 12 on the pin 140.

Reference is now particularly made to FIGS. 5, 6 wherein there is shown supported on the underside of the base support 26a and thus rotating in unison therewith, a trip plate 34. The connection of the trip plate 34 to the support 2611 is provided by circumferentially spaced depending projections 36 which snap about the periphery of the trip plate 34, holding the trip plate 34 against the support 26a while permitting limited relative movement therebetween. The extent of such movement is determined by the spacing between a pair of projections 38 circumferentially spaced about the support 26a and each pair of which straddles a radial extension 3412 of the trip plate 34. The normal position for the trip plate 34 is that position shown in FIG. which is established under the urgency of a spring 40 connected at one end, as at 40a, to one of the radial extensions 34a and at the other end to a pin 40b dependent from the underside of the support 26a. As may be best appreciated by a comparison of FIGS. 3, 4 with FIGS. 5, 6, operable at each of the four corners of the molded base 14 is a trip lever 42 pivotally mounted, as at 42a, and having an end 421; accessible through an opening in the molded base 14 so that the lever 42 can be conveniently depressed by a player. The other end of the lever 42 terminates in a turned-up extension 420 which in response to pivotal lever movement is projected into the path of rotation of the radial extensions 34a of the trip plate 34. When any one of the levers 42 is so actuated, the extension 42c on such lever thus moves into a position in which one of the radial extensions 34a encounters the extension 420 and causes rotation of the trip plate 34 to cease. Immediately thereafter, the

rotation of the toy figure 12 mounted on the support 2601 also is terminated, but not before the momentum of rotation carries the support 26a slightly further in rotation until the projections 38 thereon abut the then stationary radial extensions 34a. This slight relative movement between the trip plate 34 and the support 26a is adequate for unlatching an engaged portion of the toy 12, and is effective to set in motion the functioning thereof which could result in the pivotally movable element 20a moving from its cocked raised position into its lowered at-rest position.

As may be best appreciated by a comparison of 'FIGS. 3, 8 with FIGS. 5, 6, the portion of the toy figure 12 which is unlatched by relative movement of the trip plate 34 and support plate 26a, as just described, consists of a pin 44- depending from the base of a movable part 46 within the body 12b of the toy 12, the pin 44 extending through the plate 26a and through a notch 34b in the trip plate 34. A notch 44a in the free end of the pin 44 (see in particular FIG. 3) is adapted to engage an edge bounding the notch 341: when said edge snaps into place within the notch 44a under the urgency of the spring 40. This engagement of the pin 44 with the trip plate 34 occurs in the extreme raised position of the element 20, in which position, as will be described in greater detail subsequently, the pin 44 is projected into its lowermost position presenting the notch 44a for engagement with an edge of the slot 34b. When, however, one of the radial extensions 34a abuts a lever end 420 which has been pivoted into the path of rotation thereof, the sudden stop of the trip plate 34 while the support plate 2611! continues slightly in rotation results in the pin 44 being carried by this slight rotation of the support 26a in a direction which unlatches the pin 44 from the then stationary trip plate 34. When this occurs, a controlled raising movement occurs in the internal movable part 46 which mounts the pin 44, this movement being under urgency of the spring 48 connected at one end to the part 46 and at the other end to a fixed point on the inner surface of the toy body 1212.

Tracing the movement of the part 46 to the movement of the element 20, attention is directed in particular to FIG. 1 wherein it is shown that an upper end 46a of the part 46 is connected to a crank section 50a of a shaft 50 appropriately journalled for rotation transversely of and at the upper end of the toy body 12b. An end 50b of the shaft 50 is extended into the hollow interior of the toy limb 20a and is appropriately connected thereto, as at 50c. By a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 3 it can best be appreciated that upward movement of the part 46 under the urgency of the spring 48 will result in the cranking of the shaft 50 in rotation and the lowering of the element 20 from the raised position shown in these fig ures to the lowered position shown in phantom perspective in FIG. 8.

In accordance with the present invention, however, the lowering movement of the element 20 as just described does not immediately occur upon the unlatching of the pin 44 from the trip plate 34. This is for the reason that attached to the lower end of the part 46 adjacent to the pin 44 is a conventionally constructed suction cap 52 of an appropriate elastomeric material. As is generally understood, the suction cap 52 when pressed firmly against a smooth surface area such as is provided in a medial location on the support plate 26a is capable of maintaining a suction hold on the surface 52a which, however, is ultimately overcome by the spring 48 acting in opposition thereto. Thus, the functioning of the cap 52 provides a necessary time delay in the movement of the element 20 from its raised cocked position to its lowered at-rest position. Further in accordance with the present invention, it is contemplated that during this time delay that one of the players of the game 10 will have the opportunity of utilizing one of the catapult means 16 to catapult a marble 24 or similar item into the mouth opening 18, and if successful in this placement of the marble 24 being able to jam the movement of the moving part 46 so that the at-rest position of the element 20 is not achieved. To this end, the toy body 12b is provided with an inclined wall 54 at the lower end of the mouth opening 18 which directs the rolling marble 24 positioned within the mouth opening 18 into a confined passageway formed between another wall 54a and a front wall 46b formed on the part 46. The facing walls 54a and 46b extend generally parallel to each other and define therebetween a passageway of a variable dimension, which at one significant point is at a larger dimension D1 (FIG. 3) and at another point in the operation of the toy is at a lesser dimension D2 (FIG. 8). The larger dimension D1 exists between the walls 54a and 4611 only when the suction cap 52 is initially pressed against the surface 52a, and the dimension D2 or a lesser dimension exists thereafter during normal engagement of the cap 52 and surface 52a. In this connection, the marble 24 is selected to be of such a diameter that when placed within the mouth opening 18 it can only pass between the walls 54a and 46b when these walls are spaced apart the distance D1. At the smaller passageway dimension D2 between the walls 54a and 46b, the marble 24 is engaged by a lip 5411 on the end of the wall section 54a and is thus held between these walls preventing continued upward movement of the member 46 under the urgency of the spring 48. In other words, the marble 24 in the interposed position between the walls 46b and 54a jams the member 46 against continued rising movement with the result that the pivotally mounted arm 20 of the figure 12 is prevented from obtaining the lowered position simulating the striking of the toy figure 22 of the catapult 16 which faces the mouth opening 18 of the toy figure.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the top figure 12 is rotatably mounted centrally of the four catapult means 16 which are mounted at equally spaced locations circumferentially about the figure 12 and thereby represent the four playing stations 14d of the game 10. The game is started by a player manipulating the lever 28 so as to propel the figure 12 in rotation in the manner already described. With the figure 12 in clockwise rotation, the same or another designated player will then operate a trip lever 42 causing the figure 12 and the mouth opening 18 thereof to stop adjacent and facing one of the playing stations 14d. As best shown in FIG. 7, this positioning is achieved by requiring that the radial extension 34a slide over an inclined portion 42d of the upper edge of the lever end 42c and into a positioning notch 422. When one of the radial extensions 34a of the trip plate 34 is within a positioning notch 42e, the mouth opening 18 of the figure 12 and the movable arm 20 thereon are in the appropriate facing relation to one of the toy figures 22 at a playing station 14d. Further as already described herein, simultaneously with the stopping of the figure 12 adjacent a playing station 14d, the slight rotational movement occurring in the support 26a results in the unlatching of the pin 44 from the trip plate 34. When the pin 44 is unlatched, the urgency of the spring 48 has an immediate effect of working to overcome the suction pressure of the cap 52 and thus initiates rising movement of the movable member 46. Until this suction pressure is overcome, however, the member 46 does not rise appreciably and thus the player at the station 14d facing the toy figure 12 has the opportunity of catapulting a marble 24 into an interposed position between the walls 46b and 54a to jam, and thereby prevent, movement of the member 46. When the member 46 is thus disabled from continued movement by this placement of the marble 24, the cranking of the shaft 50 is prevented, and thus the arm 20 is also prevented from obtaining its lowered at-rest position in which it simulates striking the toy figure 22.

To propel the marble 24 into the mouth opening 18, each catapult 16 includes an L-shaped element 58 pivotally mounted on the figure 22 at the base of the legs thereon, as at 58a, and having an appropriately shaped holding structure 58b on the free end of the one leg 58c, and having a pressing surface 58e on the other leg 58d. As may be best appreciated by the full line and phantom line perspective drawings in FIG. 3, the weight of a marble 24 placed in the holding structure 58b is effective to project the leg 58d into a raised position. In this raised position, the player can effectively press down on the flattened surface Site of this leg until abutment thereof against the toy figure 22, as at the stop surface 22a. Although the leg 580 thus comes to an abrupt stop, the marble 24 is carried by momentum out of the holding structure 58b and is catapulted through a path of movement C towards the mouth opening 18 and, depending upon the skill of the player, can be successfully made to enter this opening and attain the operative position previously described jamming further movement of the internal movable part 46. Assuming that this jamming position for the marble 24 is achieved, by merely pivoting the arm 20 back into a raised position and to the fullest extent possible with the cap 52 firmly pressed against the surface 52a, such as is shown in FIG. 3, the space between the walls 46b and 54a is increased to the dimension D1 thereby causing the release of the jamming marble from between these walls and the rolling of this marble out of the opening 56 and into an accessible position on the toy base 120. The toy 10 is then in a condition for the playing procedures described herein to be repeated and performed by each of the players.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a game having a plurality of playing stations and playing pieces one at each station thereof, a figure mounted at a central location relative to said plurality of playing stations including a movable arm and having an open mouth, an actuating mechanism operatively connected to said movable arm and including time delay means for causing said arm to move into engagement with one of said playing pieces upon activation of said actuating mechanism, said playing pieces comprising object catapulting means adapted and dependent upon the skill of a player to cause the catapulting of an object into the mouth of said figure, means responsive to an object being received within said open mouth and operable to abort said actuating mechanism to thereby disable said arm from moving into contact with said playing piece, means to cause rotation of said figure, means at each of said playing stations and operable under the control of the player thereat for causing said figure to stop in a position directed toward a particular playing station, and means responsive to the stopping of the rotation of said figure for initiating operation of said actuating mechanism.

2. A game comprising a rotatably mounted toy figure having a mouth opening into the interior thereof, an arm pivotally mounted on said figure, actuating means disposed within the interior of said toy figure operatively connected to said arm and normally functioning to allow pivotal movement thereof, plural playing stations circumferentially spaced about said toy figure, a first means operativel connected to cause rotation of said toy figure past said playing stations, a second means operable at each of said playing stations to stop the rotation of said toy figure adjacent one of said playing stations and means responsive to the stopping of said rotation to operate said actuating means to initiate pivotal movement of the arm on said figure into a predetermined position relative to said one playing station,

and catapult means at each playing station for propelling an object through said mouth opening into a position within the interior of said toy figure effective to disable said normal functioning of said actuating means.

3. A game according to claim 2 including time delay means operatively connected to said actuating means to cause an initial delay in the operation thereof.

4. A game according to claim 2 wherein said actuating means includes a movable member and wall structure on the interior of said toy figure defining a passageway therebetween having communication with said mouth opening, whereby an object received within said mouth opening is effective to enter within said passageway and thereby jam said member against movement to cause the disabling of the normal functioning of said actuating means.

5. A game according to claim 4 wherein said actuating means further includes a cocking mechanism operatively connected to said pivotally mounted arm and effective to maintain said arm in a cocked raised position, a latch operatively connected to releasably engage said cocking mechanism for maintaining an operative position thereof providing said cocked position of said arm, and latch-tripping means operatively connected to selectively disengage said latch from said cocking mechanism and to simultaneously stop rotation, of said figure adjacent one of said playing stations.

6. A game according to claim 5 including a time delay means operatively mounted on said movable member of said cocking mechanism and efiFective to delay the movement thereof. for a predetermined time interval after said latch is disengaged from said cocking mechanism, whereby a player at said one station is afforded the opportunity of propelling an object through said mouth opening during said predetermined time interval,

7. A game according to claim 6 wherein said time delay means comprises a suction cup.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,113,969 10/1914 Ekelund 273-101 XR 2,210,079 8/ 1940 Hendrich 273101 2,404,653 7/1946 Plebanek 273-10'1.'1 2,664,077 12/1953 Moore 124-16 2,957,693 10/ 1960 Ross 273-1 X-R 3,008,713 11/1961 Johnson 2731 3,059,930 10/1962 Ryan 273-1 XR 3,128,096 4/ 1964 Hammond et a1. 273105.2 XR

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A GAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF PLAYING STATIONS AND PLAYING PIECES ONE AT EACH STATION THEREOF, A FIGURE MOUNTED AT A CENTRAL LOCATION RELATIVE TO SAID PLURALITY OF PLAYING STATIONS, INCLUDING A MOVABLE ARM AND HAVING AN OPEN MOUTH, AN ACTUATING MECHANISM OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE ARM AND INCLUDING TIME DELAY MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID ARM TO MOVE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID PLAYING PIECES UPON ACTIVATION OF SAID ACTUATING MECHANISM, SAID PLAYING PIECES COMPRISING OBJECT CATAPULTING MEANS ADAPTED AND DEPENDENT UPON THE SKILL OF A PLAYER TO CAUSE THE CATAPULTING OF AN OBJECT INTO THE MOUTH OF SAID FIGURE, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO AN OBJECT BEING RECEIVED WITHIN SAID OPEN MOUTH AND OPERABLE TO ABORT SAID ACTUATING MECHANISM TO THEREBY DISABLE SAID ARM FROM MOVING INTO CONTACT WITH SAID PLAYING PIECE, MEANS TO CAUSE ROTATION OF SAID FIGURE, MEANS AT 